Former U.S. Interior Secretary and Others Slam Trump’s National Monument Review at Outdoor Retailer

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell speaking at Outdoor Retailer.

REX Shutterstock

The outdoor industry is united in its fight against several President Trump policies, specifically his executive order for a national monuments review, and showed its unity this morning for Day 1 of the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer expo in Salt Lake City.

Included in the speakers denouncing the president’s order at an industry breakfast today was former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, who stated, “President Trump is playing games with our public lands, treating monuments like they were contestants on a game show.”

The event was full of soundbites outdoor enthusiasts could rally behind. Here’s some of what the aforementioned speakers shared with hundreds in attendance at Outdoor Retailer this morning.

Sally JewellFormer U.S. Secretary of the Interior

“There’s a lot of problems with this review, but I’m going to point out three. First, it’s illegal. The president does not have the authority to change monuments, only Congress does. … If the president asks unilaterally to make changes it will immediately be challenged in court. Second, this review is deeply, deeply unpopular, and completely out-of-step with what the vast majority of Americans want. … And last, President Trump is putting himself on the wrong side of history. If he acts to revoke National Monuments, he will go down as one of the most anti-conservation presidents in the history of this nation. Our National Parks, our National Monuments, our public lands are what helps make this nation great.”

Gov. Steve BullockMontana

Montana Gov. Steve BullockREX Shutterstock

“Investing in our lands will pay off economically for decades to come, and transferring those lands out of public hands would be damn foolish, not only for today but for future generations as well. Outdoor recreation has now become among our nation’s largest economic sectors, representing the lifeblood for thousands of American communities large and small, providing livelihood for millions of American workers. And as you all know, easy access to the finest outdoor recreation in the world is a selling point to not only attract outdoor enthusiasts but businesses to locate in places that are friendly to outdoor recreation.”

The North Face ambassador became the first person to free-solo Yosemite’s 3,000-foot peak El Capitan.Courtesy Alexhonnold.com/Renan Ozturk.

“Having access to these public lands, having these wide plots of open lands to plan your adventure, you can get inspired in your own way, you can seek out whatever challenge is appropriate for you. … The beauty of public lands is that any normal person can choose what makes sense to them; they could backpack for a night, they could go bicycle around the entire Four Corners [Monument], whatever seems like appropriate scale. I think that’s the beauty of open space in the U.S., is that everybody can find their own exploration.”